The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1887-09-14

the first story windows.
The children clustered around her,
clinging to her dress, and crying. so
teacher" they sobbed, "what is it2 What
shall we do9 How are we going to get
homer
Poor little Bessie Morton screamed for
her mother.
Sarah was puzzled for moment, then
she knew. The dam two miles up the
brook had given way. A dreadful mis-
giving seized upon her when she under
stood that, but she never changed mus
Gle of her rcsolute, smiling face.
"Hush," said she, "what are you do
ing so for9 Go back to your seats. l
shall keep the first one who speaks in at
recess" The utter absurdity of that last
remark struck Sarah as she spoke. She
felt nervous desire to laugh, but she
looked steadily at the children with that
strong, serene young face of hers, and
they obeyed.
They stared at her minute, then they
stopped crying and went quietly back to
their seats. If the teacher was not fright
ened, there was no danger, they argued.
Sarah remained by the window, look
ing out composedly. "The brook has
over6owed little," she remarked, in an
even voice. ''It often happens on
meadow land"
Even as she spoke, she saw that the
water was rising; she had been fixing
her attention upon little mossy knot in
great button wood tree, which grew
few feet from the window. The water
was certainly coming nearer to it.
This schoolhouse had not been built
for one originally. 1t was merely a
small, two-story dwelling house, which
had been moved here, and devoted to
educational purposes, althoug h it was
painted red and had much of the con-
ventional schoolhouse look.
The school was held in the second
story; the first was used for stcring fuel,
so doing away with the necessity for a
woodshed.
Sarah turned to the children. Gre
main in your seats, and keep quiet until
I return" she said, authoritatively.
Then she stepped out into the entry and
looked down stairs. She could not see
the lower floor. Out here listening,
without all those terrified faces looking
into hers for sign of weakness, she be-
came convinced of something which she
had suspected-the building trembled.
as if it were stirring softly on its founda-
ton. This was not strongly built
house, nor was it strongly set on the
meadow. That Sarah knew. If the
water rose little more-if the force of
the current grew little stronger-what
then2 That Sarah Mayhem knew.
She looked out of the entry window
toward the submerged street. If any
body would come. 1t she could see a
boat gliding to the rescue between those
dripping trees. Somebody must come,
somebody must think of the terrible
danger to which she and those helpless
children were exposed. But the convic-
tion gained upon her that the danger
might be lapsed in certainty, and the
worst over before those rescuers ap-
peared. Whatever human help was to
come at all must come quickly, and come
from her.
90 Lord" whispered Sarah Mayhem,
;'help me to save them"
Standing there in that little, dark
steaming entry, the horrible rush OF the
water in her ears, she gathered every
energy which was in her for effort. She
saw long rope, which the children had
used for their games in corner, she
picked it up and carried it into the school
room with her.
The poor children turned their pale,
inauiring faces toward her. "Get out
your spelling-books," said she, calmly,
land study your lessons"
The little things stared at her and
obeyed. She went to the window and
looked at the button-wood tree. If any
tree would stand the pressure of the food,
that would. 1t did not seem as if that
grand trunk could be stirred. Just op-
posite this window was broad branch,
Stretching parallel to it, only a few feet
away.
Sarah stood gazing at it minute.
Then she decided-the furniture of this
school-room was rough and rustic; rude
wooden desks, with slabs fastened to them
for seats. Along two sides of the room
ran long wooden benches; planks, mere
ly, with supports.
Sarah dragged one of them up to the
window, then she called the little boys.
"Come here.a minute, boys" SAID she.
They sprang. They had been watching
her curiously.
"Now," said she, coolly, "we'll all
take hold of this together and lift the
IL ,,> 4o tba uyipSou, -
"Now, we want to push it across on to
that tree branch"
Sarah had some wiry muscle in her
small arms, and the nine -year-old boy
was stout for his age. They pushed the
bench acress. The support at the end
caught on the branch and held firmly.
The children looked up at Sarah with
bewildered faces.
"Are we going out there9" asked the
oldest boy. The others began to whimper.
"Stop talking and wait until 1 tell
you," said the teacher. ''Now l want
you to all 60 out in the entry and put on
your things, and get your dinner-pails."
Sarah felt the house tremble very per-
ceptibly as they went. One of them
looked back. "The house shakes, teach
er," he said. with sob.
''Be quick" said she, sit won't do any
harm"
She tied on the little girl-baby's hood,
and buttoned up her coat carefully, and
put on her own poor waterproof cloak
again. The children all huddled around
her at the window, their dinner pals i'll
their hands.
Sarah took up the children's "Copen-